Bird - Window Death Study

A truly scientific, by-the-numbers research project is starting on birds’ crashing into a home’s windows.

It’s estimated that between 100 million and a billion bird deaths a year in North America, are caused by birds flying into windows. In Denton County, that could be up to 10,000 dead birds a year. Nobody knows for sure.

Local Landscape Architect and bird fan, Owen Yost, had this brought to his attention suddenly one day with a thud. A beautiful Scissortail Flycatcher had been engrossed in chasing down some insect, and had collided with his store’s window.A Wild Bird Center, no less!He learned that up to 10 birds die per building per year. He also learned that it’s avoidable.

Flocks of migrating birds have diminished by about half since the ‘60s.

This may not seem like much of a problem, until there are no birds around. Then we’ll soon realize that our wild birds eat tons of mosquitoes, spiders, grasshoppers and aphids, and pollinate many of the shrubs and flowers in north Texas.

There are several simple things we can do right now, but much more scientific research will be done on the subject thanks to Dr. David J. Horn, Director of Research for Wild Bird Centers of America, Inc.Dr. Horn is unveiling PROJECT PREVENT COLLISION, an extensive study to examine factors influencing window-bird collisions at homes. The research will delve into architectural features of homes and their landscapes that result in fatal collisions.